Leg and foot rest



June 8, 1965 R. P. WRIGHT LEG.AND FOOT REST Filed May 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.3

FIG.2'

June 8,1965 R. P. WRIGHT 3,138,141

' LEG AND FOOT REST Filed May 3, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F|G.6 I FIG]United States Patent 3,188,141 LEG AND F601 REST Raymond Peter Wright,Nithsdale, Brockenliurst, England Filed May 3, 1963, Ser. No. 277,848Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 7, 1962, 17,3fl2/ 62 1t)Qlaims. (Cl. 297-439) The present invention relates to an improved legand foot rest and has for its object to provide a tiltablespring-mounted rest, for the legs and/ or feet of a person,

which is such as to enable the user to adjust the angularv position ofthe rest automatically to suit his or her own individual requirements.

According to my invention there is provided a leg and/or foot restcomprising a base, a pair offlexible springs secured at their respectivelower ends to the base, and a supporting pad mounted on the upper endsof the springs, the arrangement being such that the springs can beeasily flexed in parallel planes so that the pad can be easily tilted onthe springs.

Preferably the base isin the form of a tube having the major part of itslength bent to lie in a horizontal plane and having its ends directedupwardly, the lower ends of the springs being fixed to the upright endsrespectively.

A preferred form of the invention will 'now be described with referenceto the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are respectively a plan, underplan, frontelevation, side elevation and perspective view of a rest,

FIGURES 6 and 7 are sections showing how the upper and lower ends ofhelical springs are attached to a supporting pad and a baserespectively, and

FIGURES 8 and 9 are a front and side elevation respectively, of amodification.

The rest illustrated in FIGURES l to 7 consists essentially of a base10, made preferably of tubular metal, a pair of helically coiled springs11 and 12, and a rectangular-shaped cushion or pad 13.

The base 10 has the major part of its length bent to Z-shape so as tolie in a horizontal plane. The ends 14 and of the tube are bent upwardlyso as to be spaced and substantially vertical. The parallel axes of thetwo ends lie in a vertical plane A, B (FIGURES 2 and 3) which is oifseta little with respect to the transverse centre-line C, D of the base.This offset is not essential and if desired the uprights may lie on thecentre-line of the base.

l i l i The helical springs 11 and 12 are attached to the ends 14 and 15respectively merely by forcing five or six turns of each spring over thetube end, pips on the tube being used to retain the springs in position.

The rectangular pad or cushion 13 is mounted upon a rigid board 16 andthe springs are attached to the board with the aid of a pair of similarfasteners one of which is shown in FIGURE 6. The spring 14 is forcedover, and is in tension upon, a sleeve 17 held to the board with the aidof a bolt 18, washers 19, 20 and 21, and a nut 22.

ural position of the pad is tilted a little as shown in FIGURE 3. [Butas indicated above this is not essential and the springs may be strongenough to keep the pad In order that the rest may be used also as aseat, a

pair of U-shaped legs 23 and 24 may be pivotally attached to theunderside of the board 16 as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. Here the springsare symmetrically placed with respect to both the pad and base. It willbe seen that the legs are attached to the pad one on either side of theline joining the points of attachment of the springs to the pad.Furthermore the shape and size of each leg is such that, when the leg isdown, it extends downwardly and outwardly with respect to the said lineand its lower end can be fitted inside the end loops of the base. Itfollows that the greater the weight upon the pad, the more firmly do theends of the legs press against the base, making a very strong seat.Owing to the flexing of the springs the legs can be easily fitted insideand against the loops of the base.

In the claims which follow the word foot rest is to be construed asincluding any piece of furniture of height such that a foot or leg canbe conveniently rested upon it and includes a stool or low seat.

Also the word tube is to be construed as including i any rigid or stiffelongate member such as a rod.

The springs flex most easily in spaced parallel planes .7

which are perpendicular to the paper with respect to FIGURE 4. v

The longitudinal and transverse axes of the rectangular supporting pad13 are shown at E, F and G, H respectively in FIGURE 1. It will be seenthat the axes base and the pad so that the springs can be easily flexedin parallel planes which lie normal to the plane in which the springslie enabling the pad to be easily tilted on the springs.

2. A foot rest as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is in the form ofa tube having an intermediate major part of its length bent to lie in ahorizontal plane and having its ends directed upwardly, the lower endsof the springs being fixed to the uprights.

3. A foot rest as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base is in the form ofa tube having an intermediate major part of its length bent to Z-shapein a horizontal plane and having its ends directed upwardly, the lowerends of the springs being fixed to the upright ends respectively.

4. A foot rest as claimed in claim 1, wherein the springs are helicallycoiled springs having their longitudinal axes spaced apart in a planetransverse to those in which the spring can be most easily flexed.

5. A foot rest as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pad is elongate in asubstantially horizontal direction normal to the plane containing thesprings and the springs are attached to the pad at points in atransverse line ofliset with respect to the centre of gravity of thepad.

6. A foot rest comprising a base in the form of a tube having anintermediate major part of its length bent to lie in a horizontal planeand having its ends directed upwardly, a pair of helically coiledsprings secured at their lower ends to the upwardly turned ends of thebase,

.and a supporting pad mounted on the upper ends of the springs, thearrangement being such that the springs are normally substantiallyparallel and can be easily flexed Patented June 8, 1965 31 in spacedparallel planes so that the pad can be easily tilted on the springs.

7. A foot rest as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pad is elongate in asubstantially horizontal direction normal to the plane containing thesprings and the springs are attached to the pad at points in atransverse line offset with respect to the centre of gravity of the pad.

8. A foot rest as claimed in claim 6., wherein the plane containing theaxes of the springs is offset with respect to the transverse centre-lineof the; base.

9. A foot rest as claimed in claim 6, and including a pair of legspivotally attached to the pad at positions one on either side of theline joining the points of attachment of the springs to the pad.

10. A foot rest as claimed in claim 1, and including a pair of legspivotally attached to the pad at positions the points of at- ReferencesCited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,045 2/90 Caldwell 2483792,245,713 6/41 Redmond 248-395 2,914,116 11/59 Gohmann 297439 FRANK B.SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. A FOOT REST COMPRISING A BASE, A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE SPRINGS SECURED ATTHEIR LOWER ENDS TO THE BASE SO THAT THEY ARE DISPOSED AT LEASTAPPROXIMATELY PARALLEL, AND A SUPPORTING PAD MOUNTED ON THE UPPER ENDSOF THE SPRINGS, THERE BEING NO OTHER SUPPORTING CONNECTION BETWEEN THEBASE AND THE PAD SO THAT THE SPRINGS CAN BE EASILY FLEXED IN PARALLELPLANES WHILE LIE NORMAL TO THE PLANE IN WHICH THE SPRINGS LIE ENABLINGTHE PAD TO BE EASILY TILTED ON THE SPRINGS.